Vertically movable door of the type used in freight sheds and roundhouses



Nov. 5, 1935. F, w ALL 2,019,851

VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR OF THE TjlPE USED IN FREIGHT SHEDS AND ROUNDHOUSES Filed July 15, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l uvrzwrwe Nov. 5, 1935. F. w. HALL 2,019,851

VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR OF THE TYPE USED IN FREIGHT SHEDS AND ROUNDHOUSES Filed July 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 5, 1 935. R w A 2,019,851

VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR OF THE TYPE USED IN FREIGHT SHEDS AND ROUNDHOUSES Filed July 15, 1955 I 5 sheets-sheet 4 32 7 a i 2 so 39 36 7 2/ 6 22 2 /z a 51 fl 3 /0 6 J 9 I 5 v44 276.6. x/w/z/v 70/? F. W. HALL VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR OF THE TYPE USED IN FREIGHT SHEIDS AND ROUNDHOUSES Filed July 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Shet 5 rf rle fllmmrllidllf Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERTICALLY MOVABLE DOOR OF THE TYPE USED IN FREIGHT SHEDS -AND ROUND- HOUSES Frederick William Hall, London, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Richards-Wilcox Canadian Company Limited, London, Ontario, Canada, a joint-stock company of Ontario Application July 15, 1933, Serial No. 680,551 In Canada August 5, 1932 2 Claims.

erated manually with ease and at a fair rate of speed and open either partially of its height for the purpose of trucking or may be fully openedfor the passage of larger vehicles or for trucking very large bulk articles, in which the hoisting device automatically adjusts itself to counterbalance the weight of the lower door section during its initial opening operation to an intermediate position and to counterbalance the weight of the entire door during the remainder of the opening operation, in which the raising of the'door in a level plane is ensured, in which the operation of the doors puts the building superstructure to less stress than is entailed in the operation of doors of ordinary construction, in which the employment of an overhead track is obviated carried by the roof or roof trusses'an'd the throwing of the doors out of align by the sagging of such roof structure, in which the doors when in the closed position are held tightly against the jambs and are unaffected by wind, pressure and in which the reactions from wind pressure are evenly distributed to the building superstructure adjacent the door opening, and in which the door is rendered weather proof, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 Ban elevation of the door and-door frame looking from the inside.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the door and door frame showing the door in the closed position. v 7 r Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the lower door section raised to its inter-mediate position.

Fig. 4 is a similar viewto Fig. 3 showing the lower door section further raised to unlock the upper door section and in the cam engaging position.

Fig.5 is a similar view to Figs. 3 and 4 showing the door sections in the position they assume when the upperseotion is in the partially raised position.

Fig. 6 is asimilar view to Figs. 3 to 5 showing the door sections in the fully raised position.

v Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan sectional view through one side of the door frame and that portion of th door in engagement therewith.

through the door intermediately broken away of its length at various points.

' Fig. 9 is an enlarged View in front elevation of the hoisting mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in 5 Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 isa further enlarged sectional view on line ll-H Fig. '10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the same scale as view I l taken on line l2l2 Fig. 10. 10'

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

I indicates the door jambs which are in the form of channel iron located at each side of the door opening. 2 are columns H-shaped in cross section located to the outside of the jambs I. 3 and 4 are horizontal'bars formed of angle iron and extending between the columns 2 and to which the jambs l are connected. 5 and 5 are angle bars extending between the angle bars 3 and 20.

4 and spaced apart from the jambs l. 6 is a centre angle bar extending between the angle bars 3 and 4 intermediately between the jambs l.

l and 8 are side guides secured to the jambs and forming the main guides for the door body. The door body is formed by two sections, a lower section 9 and an upper section comprising two portions l0 and H which are hingedly connected together at l2. The lower section 9 is provided with a guide roller l3. A guide roller I3 is located at each end of the door adjacent its bottom edge to operate within the side guides l. The upper section of the door formed by the portions H3 and II is provided, at each end adjacent its bottom edge, with a roller I4 operating within the side 35 guides 8. When the door is in the closed position the upper edge of the lower section 9 overlaps the lower edge of the portion I ll of the upper section. l5 are channel guides secured to the lower portion ll] of the upper door section. The guides l5 extend upwardly adjacent the face of the upper portion II but unattached thereto to project upwardly. beyond the upper edge of the upper portion I l as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The guides I5 are provided with upper and lower guide rollers l6 and I! for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The ,lowerdoor section is provided with upwardly projecting arms'or horns I 8 which extend into the guides l5, such horns being provided at their upper ends with rollers I9 operating within the guides |5. The upper portion ll of the upper door section is also provided with arms 20, 2|, and 22 which are pivotally' mounted 55 at their upper ends as indicated at 23 in brackets 24 carried by the vertical bars 5 and 6. The upper section of the door formed by the portions l and II are normally held when the doors are in the closed position by a swinging latch 25 pivotally mounted at one end in the bracket 26 carried by the horizontal bar 3 forming part of the door lintel. The free end of the latch extends over the upper edge of the door portion H to engage a keeper 21.

28 are striker members which are carried upon the upper edge of the lower door section 9, the inwardly projecting portion of the striker extending outward so as to engage the inner end of the latch 25 when the lower door section is raised. 29 is a stationary cam which is carried by the vertical bars of the door frame structure in the path of the rollers 19. When the lower door section is raised upward the edge portions thereof travel within the guides l5 in engagement with the rollers l6 and I! to the intermediate position shown in Fig. 3. When in this position the door may be used for ordinary trucking. By further raising the lower door section the striker 28 engages the latch 25 releasing it from the keeper 21. After this has taken place the rollers l9 engage the stationary cams 29 forcing the upper portion of the lower door section outward, such door section pivoting at its lower end upon the spindles of the rollers l3.

It will be understood when the lower door section is in this position it is tied to the lower portion ID of the upper door section so that when the roller I9 is forced outward by the cam 29 the portion [0 of the upper door section is carried outward with the lower door section, such portion l0 pivoting upon the spindles of the rollers [4 held in the guideways 8. The parts then assume the position indicated in Fig. 4, the upper portion H of the upper door section swinging outward upon the pivots 23 journalled in the brackets 24. By further upward movement of the lower door section 9 and portion I9 of the upper section, the rollers I3 and i4 continue to travel up the guides I and 8, the lower door section continuing to swing outward so that the portions l0 and H of the upper door section gradually fold together on the hinges l2, finally assuming the position illustrated in Fig. 6 which is the complete open position, the rollers l3 and I4 being then substantially on a line with the horizontal bar 3 of the door lintel.

I will now describe the mechanism by which the doors are raised from the closed to the open position.

30 are brackets which are secured to the vertical bars 5 and 5 at each side of the door. Each bracket 39 is provided with a bearing support 3| in which is mounted freely an idler pulley 32. 33 is a short shaft which is journalled in bearings 34 and 35 carried by the bracket 39 and on which is keyed a pulley 36. 31 is a; bevel gear secured to the outer end of the shaft 33. 38 and 39 are horizontal shafts turnably supported adjacent their outer ends in brackets 38 and 39 carried'by the main bracket 30, one of said shafts being journalled centrally of the door in the bearing 40 mounted upon the vertical bar 6. The adjacent ends of the shafts 38 and 39 are connected together by a coupling sleeve indicated at 4|.

42 is a bevel pinion secured to the shaft 38 so as to mesh with the bevel gear 31. 43 is a hand chain pulley operated by the hand chain 44, the pulley being mounted upon the stud shaft 45 caret chain 53 extends upwardly parallel with each end edge of the door section 9 passing over the corresponding sprocket wheel 36 which is keyed to the shaft 33 from thence downwardly under the idler pulley 49 of the weight 48, then upwardly over the freely mounted idler 32 and from thence downwardly behind the idler 59 to a point of attachment slightly below the centre of the portion l9 of the upper door section as indicated at 54.

The revolving of the hand chain Wheels 43 by means of the hand chains causes the shafts 38 and 39 to revolve, the power being transmitted thereto through the bevel gears 31 and 42 and thereby transmitting the hoisting effect to the hoisting mechanism at the opposite side of the 2 door so that such hoisting mechanisms will revolve in unison. By the manual operation of the hand chain the shaft 33 is revolved with the toothed wheel 36. As the upper door section is locked in a Stationary position so that it cannot travel upward, the lifting effort is exerted wholly upon the lower door section, the weights 48 serving to counterbalance the lower door section until it is carried to the intermediate position indicated in Fig. 3.

The upper door section is then unlocked by the lower door section so that both the upper and lower sections are free to move upward and the weights 48 then serve to counterbalance the whole door as it is carried from the intermediate po- L0 sition illustrated in Fig. 3 to the final position illustrated in Fig. 6.

It will, therefore, be seen that for a distance of approximately half the height of the opening the lower door section acts in the manner of a straight vertical sliding door. One end of the chain being fixed, the idler sheave on the weights revolves and the weight travels one-half of the distance that the door travels. The total of the Weight on both sides is exactly double the 50 weight of the lower door section so that this door section is in perfect balance.

When the upper door section is free as above described during the opening movement of the door both ends of the chain move upward at approximately the same rate of speed therefore changing the action of the weights from a two to one lift to a direct lift. By this means the full weight of the counterbalancing weights is brought into action so as to perfectly balance 00 the weight of the entire door.

As the lower door section is raised past its intermediate position, the upper door section is released and the portions thereof jacknife or fold together so as to lie adjacent the face of the lower door section as such door section approaches the horizontal position.

In order to render the door weather-proof, weather strips 55 and 56 (see Fig. 8) are employed protecting the upper edges of the lower and upper sections, together with the jamb plates 51 which protect the end of the lower door sections. The door may be locked by inserting a pin through the side guides directly above one of the spindles of a roller I3.

59 is a guide pulley mounted on 5 not affected by wind pressure and the reactions 7 from wind pressure are distributed evenly to the building superstructure adjacent to the door opening. 7

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination witha door frame, a door comprising an upper and a lower section having overlapping edge portions, the upper section being divided horizontally into two portions hingedly connected together and swung from the top of the door frame, and means for locking the upper section in a stationary position releasable by the raising of the lower section, of a counterweighted hoisting device connected to the upper and lower door sections and adapted to change automatically from a two to one hitch to a direct hitch upon the unlocking of the upper section.

2. The combination with a door frame, a door ''comprising an upper and a lower section having overlapping edge portions, the upper section being divided horizontally into two portions hingedly connected together and swung from the top of the door frame, and means for locking the upper section in a stationary position releasable by the raising of the lower section, of a hoist device comprising a shaft mounted in bearings at right angles to the door frame, a chain gear 10 secured thereto and an idler gear mounted concentrically to the shaft, 2. weight provided with a traveller pulley, and a chain secured to the bottom of the lower door section and. extending upward over the secured gear then down heneath and around the weight traveller and over the idler to the upper door section adjacent the centre of the lower portion thereof.

FREDERICK WILLIAM HALL. 

